Basic Questions:

1. What is a network?

Answer: A network is a collection of interconnected devices (like computers, servers,

and network devices) that communicate with each other to share resources and data.

2. What is the difference between a LAN and a WAN?

Answer: A LAN (Local Area Network) is confined to a small geographic area like a
building, while a WAN (Wide Area Network) covers a broader area, such as a city,
country, or even the world.

3. What is an IP address?

Answer: An IP address is a unique identifier assigned to each device connected to a

network, allowing them to communicate with each other.

4. What is the difference between IPv4 and IPv6?

Answer: IPv4 is a 32-bit address scheme allowing for 4.3 billion unique addresses,
while IPv6 is a 128-bit address scheme allowing for 340 undecillion unique
addresses.

5. What is a MAC address?

Answer: A MAC (Media Access Control) address is a unique identifier assigned to

network interfaces for communication on the physical network segment.

6. What is a subnet mask?

Answer: A subnet mask is used to divide an IP address into a network and host
portion, defining the size of the subnet.

7. What is a router?

Answer: A router is a networking device that forwards data packets between

computer networks, routing the data to its destination.

8. What is a switch?

Answer: A switch is a networking device that connects devices within a LAN and
uses MAC addresses to forward data to the correct destination.

9. What is the difference between a hub and a switch?

Answer: A hub broadcasts data to all devices in a network, while a switch sends data
only to the specific device for which it is intended.
10. What is the OSI model?

Answer: The OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) model is a conceptual framework

used to understand network interactions in seven layers: Physical, Data Link,
Network, Transport, Session, Presentation, and Application.

11. Name the layers of the OSI model.

Answer: Physical, Data Link, Network, Transport, Session, Presentation, Application.

12. What is the function of the Transport layer in the OSI model?

Answer: The Transport layer ensures reliable data transfer between two devices,
providing error checking and flow control.

13. What is the function of the Network layer in the OSI model?

Answer: The Network layer is responsible for logical addressing, routing, and packet
forwarding.

14. What is the purpose of the Data Link layer in the OSI model?

Answer: The Data Link layer handles physical addressing and error
detection/correction, ensuring that data is transmitted correctly over the physical
medium.

15. What is TCP/IP?

Answer: TCP/IP is a set of networking protocols that allows different types of

computers to communicate over a network. It consists of four layers: Application,
Transport, Internet, and Network Interface.

16. What is the difference between TCP and UDP?

Answer: TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) is connection-oriented and ensures

reliable data transmission, while UDP (User Datagram Protocol) is connectionless
and does not guarantee delivery.

17. What is DNS?

Answer: DNS (Domain Name System) translates human-readable domain names

(like www.example.com) into IP addresses that computers use to identify each other
on the network.

18. What is DHCP?

Answer: DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) automatically assigns IP

addresses and other network configuration parameters to devices on a network.
19. What is NAT?

Answer: NAT (Network Address Translation) is a method used by routers to translate

private IP addresses to a public IP address, allowing multiple devices to share a
single public IP address.

20. What is a firewall?

Answer: A firewall is a network security device that monitors and filters incoming and
outgoing network traffic based on an organization’s security policies.

21. What is a VPN?

Answer: A VPN (Virtual Private Network) creates a secure, encrypted connection

over a less secure network, like the internet, allowing users to access a private
network remotely.

22. What is the function of a gateway?

Answer: A gateway is a network device that acts as an entry and exit point for a
network, translating different protocols and enabling communication between
different networks.

23. What is a proxy server?

Answer: A proxy server acts as an intermediary between a client and a server,

forwarding client requests to the server and returning the server’s response to the
client.

24. What is bandwidth?

Answer: Bandwidth is the maximum rate at which data can be transmitted over a
network connection in a given amount of time, typically measured in bits per second
(bps).

25. What is latency?

Answer: Latency is the time it takes for a data packet to travel from its source to its
destination across a network.

26. What is a port number?

Answer: A port number is a numerical identifier in a TCP/IP network that specifies a

specific process or service on a device, allowing multiple services to run on a single
IP address.

27. What is a packet?

Answer: A packet is a small unit of data transmitted over a network, containing both
the data and control information (such as source and destination addresses).
28. What is a broadcast domain?

Answer: A broadcast domain is a network segment where a broadcast sent by any

device is received by all other devices in that segment.

29. What is a collision domain?

Answer: A collision domain is a network segment where data packets can collide with
each other when being sent on a shared medium, causing network performance
issues.

30. What is a VLAN?

Answer: A VLAN (Virtual Local Area Network) is a logical group of devices within a
LAN that are configured to communicate as if they were on the same physical
network, regardless of their physical location.

31. What is the purpose of the ARP protocol?

Answer: ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) is used to map an IP address to a MAC

address, enabling communication between devices on the same local network.

32. What is ICMP?

Answer: ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol) is used by network devices to

send error messages and operational information, such as whether a service is
available or if a router is reachable.

33. What is a ping command?

Answer: The ping command is used to test the reachability of a device on a network
and measure the round-trip time for messages sent from the source to the
destination.

34. What is a traceroute command?

Answer: The traceroute command is used to determine the path that packets take to
reach a destination, showing each hop along the way and the time taken for each
hop.

35. What is the difference between unicast, multicast, and broadcast?

Answer: Unicast is communication between a single sender and a single receiver.

Multicast is communication between a single sender and multiple selected receivers.
Broadcast is communication between a single sender and all devices in the network.

36. What is an SSID?

Answer: SSID (Service Set Identifier) is the name of a wireless network, allowing
devices to distinguish between different networks in the same area.
37. What is the difference between a public IP address and a private IP address?

Answer: A public IP address is globally unique and can be accessed over the
internet, while a private IP address is used within a private network and is not
routable on the internet.

38. What is the purpose of the TTL field in an IP packet?

Answer: TTL (Time to Live) is a field in an IP packet that limits the packet's lifespan
by specifying the maximum number of hops it can take before being discarded.

39. What is a subnet?

Answer: A subnet is a smaller network created by dividing a larger network into

multiple logical segments, improving performance and security.

40. What is the difference between static routing and dynamic routing?

Answer: Static routing is manually configured by a network administrator, while

dynamic routing uses algorithms and protocols (like RIP, OSPF) to automatically
adjust the routing path based on the network conditions.

41. What is RIP?

Answer: RIP (Routing Information Protocol) is a dynamic routing protocol that uses
hop count as a routing metric to determine the best path to a destination network.

42. What is OSPF?

Answer: OSPF (Open Shortest Path First) is a dynamic routing protocol that uses a
link-state routing algorithm to calculate the shortest path to each network, based on
the cost of the route.

43. What is BGP?

Answer: BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) is an interdomain routing protocol used to

exchange routing information between different autonomous systems on the internet.

44. What is a socket in networking?

Answer: A socket is an endpoint for sending or receiving data across a network,

typically consisting of an IP address and a port number.

45. What is the purpose of a DNS server?

Answer: A DNS server translates domain names into IP addresses, allowing users to
access websites using human-readable names instead of numerical IP addresses.
 46. What is HTTP?

Answer: HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol) is a protocol used for transmitting

hypermedia documents, such as HTML, over the internet.

47. What is HTTPS?

Answer: HTTPS (HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure) is an extension of HTTP that

uses encryption (SSL/TLS) to secure the communication between a web server and
a browser.

48. What is SSL/TLS?

Answer: SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) and TLS (Transport Layer Security) are
cryptographic protocols that provide secure communication over a network, ensuring
data privacy and integrity.

49. What is FTP?

Answer: FTP (File Transfer Protocol) is a standard network protocol used to transfer
files between a client and a server over a network.

50. What is the purpose of the three-way handshake in TCP?

Answer: The three-way handshake in TCP is used to establish a reliable connection

between a client and server, ensuring that both parties are ready to transmit data.

Intermediate Questions:

51. What is the difference between symmetric and asymmetric encryption?

Answer: Symmetric encryption uses the same key for both encryption and
decryption, while asymmetric encryption uses a pair of keys (public and private) for
encryption and decryption.

52. What is a load balancer?

Answer: A load balancer is a device or software that distributes network traffic across
multiple servers to ensure no single server becomes overwhelmed, improving
performance and reliability.

53. What is QoS?

Answer: QoS (Quality of Service) is a set of techniques used to manage network

resources by prioritizing certain types of traffic, ensuring that critical applications
receive the necessary bandwidth.
54. What is a DMZ in networking?

Answer: A DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) is a network segment that acts as a buffer zone
between an internal network and an external network, often used to host
public-facing services while protecting the internal network.

55. What is the difference between stateful and stateless firewalls?

Answer: Stateful firewalls monitor the state of active connections and make decisions
based on the context of the traffic, while stateless firewalls filter traffic purely based
on predefined rules without considering the state of the connection.

56. What is SNMP?

Answer: SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) is used for managing

devices on IP networks, allowing administrators to monitor and control network
devices like routers, switches, and servers.

57. What is MPLS?

Answer: MPLS (Multiprotocol Label Switching) is a data-carrying technique that

directs data from one network node to the next based on short path labels rather than
long network addresses.

58. What is the purpose of a NAT router?

Answer: A NAT router translates private IP addresses to a public IP address for

outgoing traffic, allowing multiple devices on a local network to share a single public
IP address.

59. What is the role of a DHCP server?

Answer: A DHCP server automatically assigns IP addresses and other network

configuration parameters to devices on a network, simplifying network management.

60. What is the difference between a wired and a wireless network?

Answer: A wired network uses physical cables (like Ethernet) to connect devices,
while a wireless network uses radio waves (like Wi-Fi) to connect devices without
physical cables.

61. What is the difference between bandwidth and throughput?

Answer: Bandwidth refers to the maximum capacity of a network connection, while

throughput is the actual rate at which data is successfully transmitted over the
network.
62. What is a virtual private network (VPN)?

Answer: A VPN (Virtual Private Network) creates a secure, encrypted connection

over a less secure network, such as the internet, allowing users to access a private
network remotely.

63. What is the function of the ARP table?

Answer: The ARP table stores mappings of IP addresses to MAC addresses,

allowing devices on a local network to communicate with each other.

64. What is the difference between full-duplex and half-duplex communication?

Answer: Full-duplex communication allows simultaneous transmission and reception

of data, while half-duplex communication only allows data to be transmitted or
received at one time, but not both simultaneously.

65. What is a routing table?

Answer: A routing table is a data table stored in a router that lists the routes to
particular network destinations, including the next hop to take for each destination.

66. What is NAT overload?

Answer: NAT overload, also known as PAT (Port Address Translation), allows
multiple devices on a local network to share a single public IP address by using
different port numbers.

67. What is a proxy server used for?

Answer: A proxy server acts as an intermediary between a client and a server,

forwarding client requests to the server and returning the server's response to the
client, often used for anonymity or content filtering.

68. What is the function of the ICMP protocol?

Answer: ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol) is used by network devices to

send error messages and operational information, such as whether a service is
available or if a route is reachable.

69. What is a default gateway?

Answer: A default gateway is the device that routes traffic from a local network to
external networks, usually a router that connects a LAN to the internet.

70. What is the difference between a static IP address and a dynamic IP address?

Answer: A static IP address is a fixed address manually assigned to a device, while a

dynamic IP address is automatically assigned by a DHCP server and may change
over time.
71. What is an intranet?

Answer: An intranet is a private network that is restricted to an organization's

employees, typically used to share information and resources within the organization.

72. What is an extranet?

Answer: An extranet is a private network that allows access to selected external

users or businesses, typically used for business-to-business communications.

73. What is the difference between a unicast, multicast, and broadcast address?

Answer: A unicast address sends data to a single recipient, a multicast address

sends data to a group of selected recipients, and a broadcast address sends data to
all devices on the network.

74. What is a leased line?

Answer: A leased line is a private, dedicated telecommunications line that connects

two locations, providing a constant, high-speed connection without sharing bandwidth
with other users.

75. What is a wireless access point?

Answer: A wireless access point (WAP) is a device that allows wireless devices to
connect to a wired network using Wi-Fi.

76. What is a DHCP lease?

Answer: A DHCP lease is a temporary assignment of an IP address by a DHCP

server to a client device, which must be renewed periodically.

77. What is a firewall rule?

Answer: A firewall rule is a policy defined in a firewall that specifies which traffic is
allowed or denied based on criteria such as IP address, port number, or protocol.

78. What is a stateful firewall?

Answer: A stateful firewall monitors the state of active connections and makes
decisions based on the context of the traffic, allowing or blocking packets based on
the connection state.

79. What is a stateless firewall?

Answer: A stateless firewall filters packets solely based on predefined rules, without
considering the state of the connection or previous packets.
80. What is a DMZ in networking?

Answer: A DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) is a network segment that acts as a buffer zone
between an internal network and an external network, often used to host
public-facing services while protecting the internal network.

81. What is NAT traversal?

Answer: NAT traversal is a technique used to establish and maintain internet protocol
connections that must pass through NAT routers.

82. What is a VPN tunnel?

Answer: A VPN tunnel is an encrypted connection established between two points,

allowing secure transmission of data across a public or untrusted network.

83. What is split tunneling in VPNs?

Answer: Split tunneling is a VPN configuration where only some traffic is sent through
the VPN tunnel while other traffic is routed directly to the internet.

84. What is a rogue access point?

Answer: A rogue access point is an unauthorized wireless access point installed in a

network, potentially compromising network security.

85. What is a captive portal?

Answer: A captive portal is a web page that a user must view and interact with before
being granted access to a public network, often used in Wi-Fi networks at airports or
cafes.

86. What is the purpose of a network bridge?

Answer: A network bridge connects two separate network segments, allowing them
to function as a single network, reducing collision domains and improving
performance.

87. What is network sniffing?

Answer: Network sniffing is the process of monitoring and capturing data packets as
they travel across a network, often used for diagnostic or malicious purposes.

88. What is a man-in-the-middle attack?

Answer: A man-in-the-middle attack occurs when an attacker secretly intercepts and

possibly alters communication between two parties who believe they are directly
communicating with each other.
89. What is a honeypot in network security?

Answer: A honeypot is a decoy system or network set up to attract and detect

attackers, allowing administrators to study and mitigate potential security threats.

90. What is the role of an intrusion detection system (IDS)?

Answer: An IDS (Intrusion Detection System) monitors network traffic for suspicious
activity and alerts administrators to potential security breaches.

91. What is the role of an intrusion prevention system (IPS)?

Answer: An IPS (Intrusion Prevention System) not only detects suspicious activity but
also takes action to prevent the threat from causing harm to the network.

92. What is a network topology?

Answer: Network topology refers to the physical or logical arrangement of devices

and connections in a network, such as star, ring, mesh, or bus topology.

93. What is a star topology?

Answer: In a star topology, all devices are connected to a central hub or switch,
which acts as a conduit for data transmission.

94. What is a mesh topology?

Answer: In a mesh topology, each device is connected to multiple other devices,

providing multiple pathways for data to travel, enhancing redundancy and reliability.

95. What is a bus topology?

Answer: In a bus topology, all devices share a single communication line (bus), and
data is transmitted in both directions along the bus.

96. What is the purpose of port forwarding?

Answer: Port forwarding is a technique used to allow external devices to access

services on a private network by redirecting communication requests from one IP
address and port number combination to another.

97. What is packet filtering?

Answer: Packet filtering is a method used by firewalls to control network access by

monitoring outgoing and incoming packets and allowing or blocking them based on
predefined rules.
98. What is the purpose of a content filter?

Answer: A content filter restricts access to certain types of content based on criteria
such as keywords, websites, or file types, often used to enforce security policies or
protect users.

99. What is a zero-day exploit?

Answer: A zero-day exploit is a previously unknown vulnerability in software or

hardware that is exploited by attackers before the vendor has a chance to issue a
patch or fix.

100. What is a denial-of-service (DoS) attack?

Answer: A DoS attack is an attempt to make a network service unavailable to its

intended users by overwhelming it with a flood of illegitimate requests, causing it to
crash or become unresponsive.